Jacory Harris remains positive despite ineligible status

Quarterback calls his predicament 'a little bump in the road'

CORAL GABLES – He faces the possibility of having to sit out his entire senior season.

Yet as usual, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris was upbeat and unfazed Saturday, as well as cautiously confident about his status for the opener Sept. 5 at Maryland.

"I expect to play," Harris said. "Yes sir."

For now, Harris is ineligible, one of eight players declared so by the university due to their alleged acceptance of impermissible benefits from former booster/convicted felon Nevin Shapiro.

Harris, linebacker Sean Spence and receiver Travis Benjamin are among that group. Coach Al Golden wouldn't say Friday which players or how many were declared ineligible, but confirmed the university filed paperwork with the NCAA for their reinstatement.

"I'm hopeful," Benjamin said.

Saturday marked the first time that players implicated in the scandal spoke.

"I've been through way worse in life," Harris said of how he he's remained positive despite his predicament. "I feel like this is just a little bump in the road. Why let something like this get you down or let it bother you. because if you do…it will stress you out and you will start to lose your head.

"I'm not trying to go down that path. I just want to be focused on the season and help my teammates out. Whatever happens, happens."

How disheartening would it be to sit out his senior season, especially after a strong camp in which he threw 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions?

"I just leave it in God's hands. If that's something that God wants to happen, then that's what it is," Harris said. "But right now, we're just thinking positive."

Fellow senior Spence said he'd be "hurt," and added, "I've been trying not to think about it. Just being around my teammates and on the field, that's my comfort zone."

Defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who's among the 12 players implicated by Shapiro, said he's thought about his situation and the uncertainty surrounding it "sometimes" the past two weeks.

"But I feel like football keeps me busy and keeps me from thinking about that," Forston said. "I've got so much on my plate I can't really think about it."

"I was sad for the guys, because I think we all as individuals, we hope to grow, we hope to mature, we hope to learn from mistakes," Golden said. "These guys are no different. If what has been alleged, if there ends up being some truth to it and they do have to serve some penalties, it's three years ago. So not only are they different than they were last year, now we have to go back three years. That's why I feel bad for them."

Harris was asked by a reporter Saturday whether he ever took money or gifts from Shapiro.

"Can't speak to anything like that. That's part of the NCAA investigation," Harris responded.

Spence said when asked whether he'll be vindicated: "I'm not going to comment on that."

Receiver Tommy Streeter, Harris' teammate in high school and a close friend, said Harris has been able to remain positive in spite of the situation he, and consequently the team faces, for one reason.

"He knows he's in a position where people look up to him. People's moods are based off his mood," Streeter said. "If you have a leader come into the locker room who's down, it becomes contagious. But if you're able to keep a clear head and stay positive through adversity, then other guys stay positive."